Didn’t hate it?”
He shrugs. “Your parents are interesting.” He says instead of elaborating.
She smiles at him, “Yeah, they are. Let me know if they’re too much, okay?”
“Sure.” He puts the box into their basket, continuing on to grab some angel food cakes. They were just told to grab an assortment of desserts, so she’s just letting Todoroki grab whatever he wants, as long as she can snag some mochi at some point. She tries her best to ignore any hero branded items, the weirdness of having someone who’s basically law enforcement on a chocolate bar a little too dystopian for her tastes.
They somehow end up turning into the seafood aisle, having accidentally taken a wrong turn somewhere, and finally come across members of their little group.
Kenji is pressing his face up against the live lobster tank, his eyes sparkling, while Q rolls up a cart. She and Todoroki stand there, baffled, as Kenji grabs the cart to hold it in place while Q climbs into it, high enough to reach the top of the lobster tank. They reach into the tank and pull out one of the lobsters, and Ochako dashes forward to stop them before they get kicked out.
“Q, Kenji, what are you doing?” She asks frantically.
Kenji grins at her, “We’re making friends!”
Kyuu smiles, holding the lobster up in front of their face. “His name is Aki. We’re freeing him.”
“You have to pay for those, you’re going to get us kicked out.”
Todoroki settles beside them, and stares the lobster down like they’re having a blinking contest. He finally looks away, apparently having lost to the lobster. “I think Aki deserves to be free.” He says, and she stares at him in dismay. The chaos hasn’t gotten to him already, has it?
The lobster wiggles around as much as they can in Kyuusaku’s hands, and she sighs. “Q, put the lobster down.”
They pout at her, “But he’s my friend now.”
Kenji beams at her, “Yeah! Kyuu-kun wants a pet!”
“I don’t think the government will let Q have a pet, Kenji.”
Todoroki blinks slowly at her, a weirdly cat-like motion, and tilts his head, confused. “Why would the government care if they have a pet?”
Yikes, she forgot he was standing right there. “Umm.”
Q puts the lobster, apparently named Aki, in the cart. “I’m on a watch list.” They say, no hesitation, and proceed to make puppy dog eyes at Ochako. “Please, Ocha-chan?”
Kenji raises his hand, “I can take care of it! I’m good with animals, I’m sure I can figure it out.”
“Who’s going to pay for him, then?”
The two Yokohamans blink at her, apparently not having thought of that. Todoroki slowly raises his hand, and she stares at him. “I’ll pay.” He says, and then pulls out a credit card. “I have my father’s money with me.” His face and voice is blank, but she thinks she can detect a hint of mischief.
She sighs and runs a hand down her face. “Okay, let's get a lobster then.”
Kenji and Q cheer, and they start pushing the cart in search of the rest of their group.
They find them in line for checkout, and Chuuya smiles when he sees them. “Good, you’re here. Was wondering if I would have to send Dazai looking for…. Why do you have a lobster?”
“This is Aki!” Kenji says cheerfully.
Ochako shakes her head at her dad’s baffled look as he turns to her for answers. “Todoroki is paying for him.” Is all she says, and he wisely drops it. It’s not like the people around him haven’t done stranger things before. A lobster is nothing.
